Photographic developing apparatus.



J. S. GREENE. PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.4, 1915. 1,229, 945. Patented June 12, 1917.

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J. S. GREENE. PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

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WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. GREENE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO COMMERCIAL CAMERACOMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1917.

Application filed December 4, 1915. Serial No. 65,120.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. GREENE, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Photographic Developing Apparatus; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to photography and more particularly tophotographic developing apparatus of the kind associated with copyingcameras for developing prints in practically the same mechanism in whichthey are exposed and immediately after being fed from the focal plane ofthe camera, and the invention has for its object to provide a simple andconvenient developing apparatus that will provide for removing thegreater portion of the developing liquid that clings to the print as thelatter is drawn from the developer container, to the ends that thesupply of liquid may be conserved and contamination of the fixingsolution into which the print is next introduced, prevented. To theseand other ends the invention resides in certain improvements andcombinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described,the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of thespecification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a central, vertical, longitudinal section through a copyingand developing camera, showing a developing apparatus constructed inaccordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2isatop plan view of the developing container and the parts carriedthereby;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2,showing the print handling devices in the normal positions of Figs. 1and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in their printdelivering positions;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the container taken substantiallyon the line 5-501": Fig. 2.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several figures indicate thesame parts.

Referring first in a general way to the camera or exposing mechanism, inassociation with which I have illustrated my apparatus 1n the presentinstance, 1 indicates the camera casing, 2 a compartment thereincontaining a spool 3 on which the supply of film or sensitive paper isrolled and "4a:

compartment below the film chamber that houses certain of the cameramechanisms such as the film feeding and severing devices. The film 5 isfed across a supporting wall 6 in the focal plane of the camera where itis exposed by means of feed rollers 7 located at the bottom of said walland after passing the rollers, it enters through a passageway 8 into adeveloping chamber 9. The film is preferably in a continuous web andwhen the full exposed length has been drawn from the plane of exposureinto the developing chamber, it is severed by a reciprocatory knife 10.I The rearward part of the chamber 9 is normally closed by a cover orhood 11 hinged to the camera casing 1 at 12 and itself provided with aflap door 13 through which ordinary access to the chamber during thecourse of developing, is had without admitting any great amount oflight.

Within the chamber 9 is a pan 14 constituting a container for thedeveloping solution. This is provided at its rear end with inclineddeflecting guides 15 which take the contact of the advancin edge of theexposed sheet or print and direct it forwardly beneath suitablesubmerging fingers 16. Near the forward end of the container is pivotedat 17 a link 18 that forms a swinging support for the rear end of aprint handling tray 19 to a side flange of which the link is pivoted at.20. The normal position of the tray is that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and5 in which its bottom 21 lies flat against the bottom of the container14. In this position, a handle 22 mounted on a bridge piece 23 at thefront of the tray projects over the front edge of the container 14 andbeneath the flapdoor 13 (Fig. 1). When the print is fully extendedwithin the container, its forward portion rests within the tray 19, asshown in Fig. 3, and by raising the tray to the tilted position of Fig.4 and bringing its front edge over to rest upon the lip 24 at the frontedge of the container 14, the print becomes accessible to the fingers ofthe operator to be withdrawn in the manner indicated in Fig. 4 andtransferred into a second container 25 arranged in rear of the first andcontaining the fixing solution or hypo. Raising the tray in this wayautomatically opens the flap door 13.

When the tray is in the normal position a roll 26 supported on arms 27pivoted to the side of the tray at 28 is held in spaced relationshipwith the tray bottom 21, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, by means of hangers29 provided with flanges 30 that engage over the edges of the container14. and rest thereon. In this position of the roll, the print indicatedat 31 is free to pass beneath it and between it and the bottom 21 of thetray. As the latter is thereafter carried up to the position of Fig.-.'l, the print is carried with it as is also the roll 26 which, whenthe flanged arms 29 thereof leave the rim of the container 14, fallsdown against the print and squeezes it against the bottom of the tray orcarrier 21. The pressure need not be great, a gravity roll or one helddown by its own weight and the weight of the arms 27, being sufficientin the present embodiment. The roll offers no appreciable resistance tothe withdrawal of the print in the usual manner by pulling on itsforward edge but as the print passes beneath it, the surplus liquiddeveloper is expressed from it and as the print is drawn down into thefixing tank 25, it carries with it no great amount of developer. Drainopenings 32 may be provided in the sides of the tray19 in front of theroll 26 to prevent a body of solution from being trapped at this pointwhen the tray is raised.

In order to insure the passage of the severed print from the rear of thecontainer 14 forwardly into the tray 19 and beneath the roll 26, apropelling device may be employed which, in the present instance,comprises a drive shaft 33 connected by sprockets 34 and 35 and a chain36 with the paddle shaft 37 on which are arranged rubber or otheryielding blades 38. As the shafts are turned these blades frictionallycontact with the upper surface of the print and urgeit along to itsforward position besides stirring up the developing solution.

It will be observed that the operation of the wringing device isentirely automatic as it moves into and out of operative position andinto and out of print receiving posi tion as the tray or carrier 19 israised and lowered. The supply of developer within the container 14.- isconserved through the practice of the invention while similarly the bodyof fixing solution in the tank 25 re mains relatively pure and lasts amuch longer time than were the print permitted to carry over the fullcharge of developer that ordinarily clings to it. The two containers 14and 25 must be as close together as possible for obvious reasons andthere is no op portunity for draining the print after it leaves one andbefore it is submerged in the other.

1 claim a my invention:

1. In a photographic developing apparatus, the combination with a darkchamber, a developing container and a fixing container therein arrangedin juxtaposition to the developing container but exteriorly of the darkchamber, of a wringing device arranged between the containers butaccessible from the exterior of the dark chamber adapted to permit aprint to be drawn therethrough as it is passed from one tothe other ofsaid containers.

In a photographic developing apparatus, the combination with a darkchamber, a developing container and a fixing container therein arrangedin juxtaposition to the developing container but exteriorly of the darkchamber, of a roll arranged between the containers but accessible fromthe exterior of the dark chamber and adapted to wring excess liquid froma print drawn beneath it as the latter is transferred from one to theother of said containers.

In a photographic developing apparatus, the combination with a liquidcontainer, of a carrier having a normal position within the containerand adapted to be shifted to an elevated position and a print wringer onsaid carrier.

4. In a photographic developing apparatus, the combination with a liquidcon tainer, of a carrier movable between a print 100 receiving positionwithin the container and an elevated print delivering position, of aprint wringer on the carrier adapted to assume an inoperative'positionto receive the print when the carrier is in the first mentioned positionand an operative position when the carrier is in its last mentioneddelivering position.

5. In a photographic developing apparatus, the combination with a liquidcon- 110 tainer, of a carrier movable between a print receiving positionwithin the container and an elevated print delivering position, of aprint wringer on the carrier adapted to assume an inoperative positionto receive the 115 print when the carrier is in the first mentionedposition and an operative position when the carrier is in its lastmentioned delivering position and means for feeding a print into thecarrier and wringer.

6. In a photographic developing apparatus, the combination with a liquidcontainer, of a carrier consisting of a. tray adapted to normally lie ina submerged print receiving position within the container 125 andmovable to an elevated print delivering position, of a wringing rollcarried by the tray, and means for holding it spaced from the bottom ofthe latter when the tray is in its first mentioned position butpermitting 130 lit) it to move into operative wringing position withreference thereto vhen the tray is raised to delivering position,

7; 'In ,a photographic developing apparatus, the combination with aliquid container. .oi a carrier consisting of a tray adapted to normallylie in a submerged print receiving position within the container andmovable to an elevated print delivering position, of a wringing rollcarried by the tray, means for holding it spaced from the bottom oi thelatter when the tray is in its first n'ientioned position but permittingit to move into operative wringing position with reference thereto whenthe tray is raised to delivering position. and means for feeding a printinto the tray beneath the roll while the latter is in inoperativeposition.

8. In a photographic developing apparatus, the combination with a liquidcon .tainer, of a carrier consisting of a tray adapted to normally liein a submerged print receiving position within the container andmovableto an elevated print delivering position, of a wringing roll carried bythe tray and a stop device cooperating with the container for holdingthe roll spaced from the bottom of the tray when the latter is in itsfirst mentioned position but permit ting it to move into operativewringing position with reference thereto when the tray is raised todelivering position.

9. In a photographic developing app-a ratns, the combination with aliquid container, of print container adapted to be elevated to adelivering position and means carried thereby tor wringing the print asthe latter is drawn therefrom.

10. In a photographic developing apparatus, the combination with aliquid container, of a print wringing device having an inoperative printreceiving position with in the container and movable to an operativeprint delivering position above the container.

11. In a photographic developing apparatus, the combination with aliquid container, of a print wringing device having an inoperative printreceiving position within the container and movable to an operativeprint delivering position above the container and means for feeding aprint into the wringing device while the latter is in its firstmentioned position.

JOHN S. GREENE.

\Yitnesses RUSSELL B. Gmrrrrn, noses I\ESBITT BIRS'ELL.

receiving means within the Tit)

